Tuesday, June 30, 2009

english has a magic word that erases the past
i’d like to share it with you, but you’d fall for it too fast
you see, i really like you, but this message is sublime
this word’s for you, but it’s a little bit before it’s time

i’d use it in a sentence but then you would surely guess
you’re qualified, but that ain’t gonna make no difference
the words that come before this word have little meaning, but
i’ll try to keep a secret, but i think i’ve said too much

we wanted to stop acting, but nobody would say “cut!”i wanted to say nothing, but now i’ve said nothing, but

so, listen up, you’ll hear it, but you won’t be listening
they want you to be free, but then they tell you what to sing
but this is gonna hurt me (a lot more than it hurts you)
but i’m trying to be serious, but i very seldom do
__________________________________________

2nd (thursday):-wake-up; jog/yoga/exercise-afternoon: semi-open (we'll need to prepare for the 4th of july extravaganza as tomorrow will be full). ..steve just let me know that this is a possible boating day on naragansett bay.-evening: pick-up jean at pvd (10:10 pm) laughs; mom & dad's for jo/al time; laughs

life is like a poem (in a Dance of space & time) life is like the seasons, it’s a reason for a rhyme
______________________
* the title "no rhyme or reason" hints that something is arbitrary (which is a hint that this thoem isn't). the same goes for the Connection between the couple (in the photo), which visually accentuates simple themes (dance, reflection, You-nion and momentarily reserved passion).

* the author, "a. reflection," is not so much a writer as he is a mirror.

* in the first line, "life is like a poem," the author embraces the idea that our journey is more symbolic and theatric than it is Real. ..life is like a Really, Big Play.

* "life" appears to happen within a "Dance of space & time," meaning that the illusion of doing happens here, in the relative world, complete with special effects like space and time.

* in the second line "life is like the seasons" we can get a sense of change, of movement, of cycles, of unfoldings...

* the phraze "it's a reason for a rhyme" re-cycles back to the title, hinting that there's a reason for no rhyme or reason.

Monday, June 29, 2009

jean's last trip to rhode island occurred back in 1984-ish, when she accompanied several indianapolis army/rugby guys in a recreational vehicle bound for the boston marathon. ..along the way, we stopped at jean's house in pennsylvania, where the boys met jean's parents. ..as i remember, jean actually drove the r.v. up the hill into her driveway.

she took the boys out that night to the one watering hole in the county, which was packed with people. ..when the d.j. made the mistake of playing john cougar mellencamp's "jack & diane" -- all hell broke loose!! ..the locals probably weren't ready for indiana's idea of "chippendales," as the boys were dancing on tables in strategic locations, all around the bar. ..needless to say, jean was the talk of the town as we made our getaway toward rhode island, the following day.left: jean, dancing

instead of going straight to boston, we stopped at the university of rhode island, where we partied the night away and added three more people to our traveling crew. ..the following afternoon, after locating those who were "missing in action," we hit al & jo's house for some pre-marathon meatball sandwiches and pabst blue ribbon beer.

above: jean & boz..........................................

below: don't try this at homeanywaaaaay... that night, we got a hotel near boston, and we parked the r.v. outside. ..it was the night before the marathon, and we proceeded to take the "t" into beantown. ..apparently, boston wasn't ready for our antics, and we got thrown out of a couple of bars, including the last one (when we crashed a private party at 3 a.m.).

...yes, on the morning of the boston marathon.

above, jean & steve....................................

below, left to right: kevin, jack............

the race start-time came too quickly, and (who would have guessed this) it was raining. ..only five of us attempted the race, and we used cut out garbage bags as running-ponchos.

jackhit the wall after about 15 miles, and had to be taken to the finish area by the medics. ..i got a charliehorse on heartbreak hill (mile 22-ish), and i'd probably still be there if one of my former u.r.i. nursing students didn't recognize me and provide a much needed leg massage.

as i jogged/walked toward mile 25, i saw my buddy kevin, completely disoriented, walking in the opposite direction of the race!

kevin & i stepped into a convenience store, got a cup of coffee and a candy bar, and then went back out to finish the marathon.

yeah, so it took us more than five hours. ..yeah, so we didn't win. ..but i doubt that anybody who finished before us had been dancing and chugging drafties while standing on his head just a few hours prior to racetime.

left: denny, trying to attract women on the "t" which is boston's version of an above ground subway. ..huh?

above: my buddy and fraternity brother (bob) met his future wife (ann) that night (on the "t"). ..25 years later, they are married, with great kids, and living outside of boston.

below: lenny & jean finish a 10-k at purdue university

below: denny (not lenny) and "the boz" meeting the local ladies on the "t" on the way to boston. ..denny is seen here, making a friend and nibbling on her shoe. ..later that evening, the courting ritual included drinking beer out of her shoe.

_________________________________* yes, the hat that lenny is wearing is a moose head (from alaska)...willy probably would have been in the photo, but he was three days late in arriving from colorado.:)

Saturday, June 27, 2009

at wIe, "weight" is notthat silly number that pops-up on your scalewhen you step on it.

rather, your weight is a flowing processthat is best measured over a period of time.

the number on your scaleis a feedback mechanism that can be utilized to facilitateincreased body awareness.

recommendation: if you are going to use a scale, then "weigh-in" every day, first thing in the morning when you ease out of bed. ..use the same scale, placed in the same place, every day. ..take the average of your daily weight (over the course of a month/cycle) and call that your "starting weight."

what you'll notice is a daily fluctuation of weight, based upon various consumption/expenditure habits and your personal cycles. ..furthermore, re-cognize that:

"the silly number on this scale is but a miniscule indicator of that which i call 'me.'the number on the scale serves me, by helping me to increase my well-awareness."

if you ever notice a "loss" of more than 2 pounds during a single week, re-cognize that there is a good chance that the weight will be found again, at some point in the future.

instead of playing the game of daily/weeklylost & found, a monthly approach to weight change will allow you to assess current wellness practices and the resulting effects thereof.

along with weight, other feedback mechanisms include:

inches (actually, a much more practical measurement than weight)

the way that you feel: before/during/after eating, moving, resting, meditation, stretching, etc.

wellness is a holistic, multidimensional construct, and its components are best considered in harmony with each other. ..we can utilize physical sense-ations to provide us a glimpse into our mental/Spiritual state.

instead of dwelling on body weight, we can utilize it wisely as a small part of a miraculous feedback system designed to alert us as to our recent life path/course. ..from tHERE, an obvious question is:

"based upon how i feel aboutwhat i've done,where i am, and what i'd like to experience......what do i do-Be-doNow?"

* topped off with a slice of kiwi. ..i tried to "shave" slivers of carrot on top, but it didn't look right, so i found a kiwi in the fridge, and "voile."

1. put ingredients in blender (don't put slice of kiwi in blender, as it will cease to be a slice)2. press "play" (taste test by scooping & slurping a spoonful off of the top, while it's blending)3. after pouring into a cool-looking glass, apply topping (kiwi slice) on top

Thursday, June 25, 2009

" Just in case you hear about it on the news,we had one of my co-workers (Jim Elliott) get killed in a crash yesterday.The other pilot survived. ..Details of the crash are sketchy.I just thought I would let you know."-Jim Casey

this message is being posted here:

1. to pay respects to jim elliot

2. to re-Mind us that our friends, jim casey & dick reinhardt, take their lives in their hands every time that they step out to the flight-line and fire-up a helicopter.

3. to re-Mind us, once again, that life is a fleeting, unstable blink of a micro-moment.

Love yours, Love others' -- while wIe can.

note: jim is too modest to ever bring this up, buthe actually saved a pilot's life on the flight-line, many years ago. ..during a "hot refuel" operation, an explosion turned the pilot's body into a projectile, throwing him over 200 feet from the aircraft. ..jim reached the pilot (who was on fire) quickly, put the flames out, and took care of him until the emergency crews arrived.

keep rockin', jim.-len____________________________flashback (all wet): future nightstalkers take a break from ingress/egress training at "the dunker" in jacksonville, florida (think: "an officer and a gentleman"). ...jim, who was our class leader, is third from the right.

* (optional) handful of nuts (i went with salted peanuts, since that what was within reach)* (optional) topped off with a tiny portion of chopped beets. ..the beets are "chopped" because i don't know how to create that "shaved" look

1. put ingredients in blender (don't put beets in the blender, unless you want a red drink**)2. press "play"3. put topping on top (low-fat whipped topping works, in a pinch)

* smoothies allow us to consume the pulp (and glean its fiber). ..juicersremove the pulp, giving you more vitamins/minerals per ounce, but i've found it hard to "throw away" the pulp.

* a good friend of mine has a composting system that may be highlighted on a future IP post. ..the system allows her to recycle the pulp, which results in nutrient-rich soil that has turned her backyard garden into a self-sustaining environment for herbs/vegetables/fruits. ..she also demonstrated a juicing process (from the opening of the fridge to the cleaning of the juicer) that took her only 7 minutes & 35 seconds. ..yum!

** actually, a beet drink (strawberries, carrots, ginger, etc.) with carrot shavings on top is another colorful way to get well.

(originally posted in may, 2009)
the thoem (below clare & jerry's picture) is sung to the tune of "100 years" by five for fighting, and is dedicated to a marriage relationship that i'd love to emulate...
i imagine my brother-in-law (jerry) singing "100 years" to my sister (clare) ... or maybe it's ALL of us men, singing to ALL of you, the lovely-est of love-ly ladies...below (linked from YouTube) "100 years" by five for fighting.

below -- is my sister clare's chance, to sing back to jerry...

(again, to the tune of "100 years")

4th of july [1]by clare-ly whenwe firstmeti saw you there, just a marching bya heartbeat (my, oh my, oh my)my heart was taken…
...and then we danced and then we kissed...-------------chorus music-----------------------.....then a world of that and this.....then (and now) a taste of Bliss

are we just lucky?

-------------chorus music-----------------------.....after all these years with you.....after all that we’ve been through.....after all, I Love You…after all ...-------------chorus music-----------------------.....here we are, back at the parade.....here we are, the family we made.....here we are, after all they saidhere we are…----------------------------------back to the beginning music-----i saw you there, just a marching bymy heartbeat (now i know why)

I Love You
on this 4th of july...

* inspired by the meeting of my sister (clare) and my blood brother (jerry) on a 4th of july, at a parade, in bristol, rhode island -- and the crazy chance that all of us might be there, again, in a few short weeks.
_____________________________________

6-23-09 update:it is ON! a group of family/friends (including jean, willy/judy/kelly/abby) has planned to brave the traffic and descend upon the bristol4th of july parade. ..and, yes, there will be a small toast at the site of the initial jerry/clare re-Union.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

now and then, asked about the new and improvedmobile station, the honest politician said "no comment." ..almost everything is a safe investment now that our assistant manager discussed death benefits at a business party.

in a world of stagnant growth, free trade, liquid paper, friendly takovers andinstant replay, job security is a moving target, going nowhere, fast(much like the home office).

it's bitter-sweet. ..when home schooledgraduate students lose athletic scholarships for taking study breaks during practice tests, it's time to re-train the trainer.

on campus, students are barely dressed in casual chicdesigner jeans -- as dress pants and dress shirts made of natural synthetics accentuate costume jewelry.

odd, even a good lawyer would cringe -- given buffalo wings, boneless ribs, cheeze steak, andchili.